10 Pounds Down Total Body Tune Up

I admit, I was a bit confused by this DVD. I received both 10 Pounds Down "Total Body Tune Up" and "Weight Loss Cardio" on the same DVD. The minimal chapter menu listed both workouts, but it gave no idea of the times, breakdowns, etc., so it took me awhile to figure out which workout I was doing, especially since both contain cardio and toning work.

Total Body Tune-Up features Jessica Smith working out alone in a gym room with a sort of waterfall water feature in the background; behind that, you can catch glimpses of gym members exercising, which I found distracting. She begins here with a 5-minute warm-up that includes moves such as knees and curtseys. For the weighted work, Smith performs two sets of most exercises, usually with some type of alternate move in between (such as push-ups), although this was not consistent (which was one of the things that I didn't really like). Most of the moves are compound, such as curtsey with twist and overhead press and a lunge forward with wide plie. Between the strength sets, Smith does cardio intervals. The majority of these were high impact--e.g., split jumps, hop squats, squat thrusts (aka Burpees), mountain climbers--with no modifications offered; if anything, Smith encourages you to push harder and go higher.

There is not a separate abs segment in this workout; rather, core work is incorporated throughout. At about the 24-minute point, Smith has you on the floor for a chest press with hip lift, leg lowers to work the abs, and then flies with hip lifts. This is followed by some moves on the stomach, including supermans and wide push-ups. However, then you are coming back to standing for triceps presses and other moves. I didn't like this sudden transition, and overall, this workout felt "fussy" to me. This might be a good choice for someone who enjoys strength/cardio intervals and who doesn't mind high impact work as well as a lot of complex moves.

Instructor Comments: I do like Jessica and have used many of her online workouts. Her DVDs tend to be pretty hit or miss for me, however--although she instructs well, I just don't tend to enjoy the format of her workouts.

Jessica leads this 60 min strength + cardio in the Miami studio that she actually leads live classes in! The studio is a cute open space w/ blue background with flowing water in the backdrop and hardwood floors. You will need dumbbells for this workout- Jessica uses 5's but you can vary yours. Jessica works out alone and offers various intensity modifications throughout.

This is workout is mostly strength but includes nice cardio bursts between strength sets. Jessica uses lighter weights - I used 10's & 15's and it really amped up the cardio effect of this workout! I was sweating & my heart was pumping. The pace is quick but not so quick that I had trouble with my poundage. There is no wasted time and she really keeps the workout moving along. And she includes tons of great combo moves.

With lighter poundage I would rate this a solid intermediate workout that really hits all the muscle groups. By using heavier or lighter poundage this workout can really be adjusted to meet the needs of most exercisers. As always Jessica's cuing and energy are excellent, making this a great addition to any workout collection. I am impressed with: the pace, the UNIQUE moves, and the tough ab section! Great workout!!! I look forward to more 10 Pounds Workouts. I received this dvd to review